On November 9th, our dainty princess celebrated her 5th birthday. She woke up on that wet November morning and chose to wear a long white flower girl dress, ballet tights and slippers and a tiara.
She had asked for pierced ears for her birthday. Damon had a hockey game that night, so we left early and stopped at the mall and had her ears done before the game. We met Grandpa there and he took her clothes shopping and she bought 2 dresses (one of them quite fancy). Then she went to the hockey game in her gown and tiara, danced around the stands and showed off her beautiful ears to everybody who would look.
The next night we had a proper birthday dinner. She was allowed to pick any restaurant she wanted or any home cooked meal. Last year she chose a very exciting homebaked macaroni and cheese with a rainbow heart cake. This year she chose chicken nuggets, home fries, and a salad of spinach, pomegranate, cucumber and a raspberry vinaigrette, with a chocolate heart cake. She opened a few presents including a candy pizza from Grandpa.
Just 8 days later, we celebrated a big milestone with Patrick as he turned 16! He is a very sensible boy, so it was a very subdued affair. After I picked him up at rugby practice he opted for dinner at home (stuffed chicken breasts and stuffed potatoes from M&M Meats). It was a very low key affair.
 |
| Big smoke. |
After a substitute teacher failed to hand out her invitations in the message bags two days in a row, Hanna's party had to be rescheduled. My mistake, I should have followed ALL of Virginia's Birthday Party Etiquette Rules.
Virginia's Birthday Party Etiquette 101 rules . Finally on December 10th, she had her Sugar Plum Fairy-themed birthday party. The theme was the only mathematical option, Princess+Ballerina+Christmas decorations=Sugar Plum Fairy. Obviously.
 |
| Gathering party supplies. |
 |
| Table set and ready. |
 |
| Princess Loot boxes with a bit of candy, cookie and candy-shaped hair decorations, stickers, a notebook, a ring. |
 |
| Hanna's menu, tea sandwiches, a fruit tray and chocolate milk or pink lemonade. |
 |
| 5 party guests and 2 big sisters had a blast. |
 |
| 4 friends in a very tiny bathroom. |
 |
| Blowing out her candles. I take no credit for the cake, I think Dr. Seuss decorated it. |
I had planned themed activities that involved glitter glue, snowflakes that wouldn't stay on the sticks and ribbon that wouldn't stay curled, but discovered that they all had the most fun when we went out to play in the barnyard. They took turns holding hens. They were all impressed when they had a turn holding a "baby rooster". And for me, the highlight was watching them work in pairs to "walk the goats".
 |
| I am so glad that Hanna enjoyed her party! |
Predictably, the goats walked them.
Next year, I'm going to skip the glitter glue and go with the obvious Farm-themed party.
 |
| The AFTER table. |
